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Pulev defeated\u00a0 Mamoud Charr on December 7, 2024, by a 12-round unanimous decision to become the new belt-holder.<\/p>\n
\u201cI respect Murat Gassiev \u2013 he is a powerful and dangerous opponent \u2013 but I am ready, focused, and eager to give fans a great fight. I\u2019m grateful to the IBA and Epic Sports for making this happen and can\u2019t wait to step back into the ring,\u201d said Pulev.<\/p>\n
You ca\u2019t rule out a win for Gassive because Pulev is slow and is up there in age. Although Gassiev is slow, he\u2019s still a huge puncher, and that\u2019s all it\u2019ll take to defeat what\u2019s left of Pulev.<\/p>\n
The former IBF cruiserweight champion Gassiev was one of the top fighters in that weight class from 2016 to 2018. A loss to Oleksandr Usyk changed Murat\u2019s career path. He gave up on the cruiserweight division and moved up to heavyweight. He hasn\u2019t been the same fighter since his move up in weight.<\/p>\n
Gassiev lost to Otto Wallin by a 12-round split decision on September 30, 2023. Losing to Wallin put things in perspective, showing Gassiev\u2019s level. He did bounce back from that loss, defeating Kem Ljungquist and Jeremiah Milton. Those fighters are top-tier.<\/p>\n
If Gassiev can defeat Pulev, he\u2019ll revitalize his career and put himself in position for a lucrative rematch against Usyk or a fight against Moses Itauma. Obviously, the bigger payday would be against Usyk for all his belts. It\u2019s unlikely that he\u2019ll choose to face Gassiev due to the lack of interest fans would have in this fight.<\/p>\n
How to Watch Pulev vs Gassiev<\/p>\n
Broadcast details are still being finalised at the time of writing. Streaming and TV info will be confirmed closer to fight week. Expect international coverage due to the WBA title on the line.<\/p>\n
Date: Friday, December 12
Start time: TBA USA \/ TBA UK
Venue: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Dubai, UAE<\/p>\n
Full IBA Pro 13 Fight Card (So Far)<\/p>\n
Kubrat Pulev vs Murat Gassiev, WBA heavyweight world title
\nBakhodur Usmonov vs Maxi Hughes, WBA lightweight title eliminator
\nYoel Finol vs Shakhobidin Zoirov 2, IBA Pro world bantamweight title
\nKhariton Agrba vs Nerii Mu\u00f1oz 2, WBA super-lightweight title eliminator
\nVadim Musaev vs Tulani Mbenge, welterweights<\/p>\n
Navy Veteran, College Graduate with a Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership and Grad certificate in Human Resources from Brandman University formally known as Chapman University. Family man, Boxing fan\u2026find me on Twitter talking boxing @James_theGrad<\/p>\n